In this
proceeding, Norfolk Southern Railway Company (NSR) filed a notice of exemption
under 49 C.F.R. § 1152.50 seeking exemption from the requirements of 49 U.S.C. §
10903 to abandon approximately 0.5 miles of rail line between milepost HG 37.50
and HG 38.00 in Gaston County, North Carolina (the Line).A map depicting the Line in relationship to
the area served is appended to this EA.If the notice becomes effective, the railroad will be able to salvage
track, ties and other railroad appurtenances and to dispose of the right-of-way.

DESCRIPTION OF THE LINE

According
to NSR, the Line passes through suburban residential areas, and there are two
bridges located along the Line.The
right-of-way width ranges from 40 feet to 70 feet along the main track
centerline. NSR states that it is seeking
abandonment of the Line to permit removal of a railroad bridge over Robinson
Road/SR 2416 to facilitate widening of the state highway.

ENVIRONMENTAL
REVIEW

NSR
submitted an environmental report that concludes the quality of the human
environment will not be affected significantly as a result of the abandonment
or any post-abandonment activities, including salvage and disposition of the
right-of-way.NSR served the
environmental report on a number of appropriate federal, state, and local
agencies as required by the Surface Transportation Board’s (Board) environmental
rules [49 C.F.R. § 1105.7(b)].[1]The Board’s Office of Environmental Analysis
(OEA) has reviewed and investigated the record in this proceeding.

Diversion of Traffic

According
to NSR, no local traffic has moved over the Line for at least two years, and there
is no overhead traffic to be rerouted.Accordingly,
the proposed abandonment would not adversely impact the development, use and
transportation of energy resources or recyclable commodities; transportation of
ozone-depleting materials; or result in the diversion of rail traffic to truck
traffic that could result in significant impacts to air quality or the local
transportation network.

Salvage Activities

Impacts from salvage and disposal of a rail line typically
include removal of tracks and ties, removal of ballast, dismantling of any
bridges or other structures that may be present on the rail right-of-way, and
regrading of the right-of-way.Salvage
may be performed within the right-of-way, or, if necessary, via the
construction of new access points to the right-of-way.

The
Gaston County Manager submitted comment letters on July 31, 2012 and April 18,
2013.The July 31, 2012 letter expressed
opposition to the proposed abandonment.However, the April 18, 2013 letter rescinded the July 31, 2012 letter
and stated that Gaston County fully supports the proposed abandonment for the
purpose of accommodating needed road safety improvements.

The
Natural Resources Conservation Service, Soil Survey Office commented that no
farmland area would be affected or converted as a result of the proposed
abandonment.

The
Natural Resources Conservation Service, Ecological Sciences Office stated that
it had no further comment on the proposed abandonment.

The
United States Fish and Wildlife Service submitted comments stating that no
federally listed endangered or threatened species or their habitat occur in the
area of the proposed abandonment. Therefore,
no further action under Section 7 is required.

The
National Geodetic Survey (NGS) commented that no geodetic survey markers are
located within the area of the proposed abandonment.Therefore, no further consultation with NGS
is necessary.

The United States Environmental Protection
Agency (US EPA) submitted comments stating that there may be stormwater related
runoff associated with the proposed abandonment, which may trigger a Clean
Water Act (CWA) 402 stormwater permit.US EPA has delegated its CWA implementation to the State of North Carolina.Therefore, US EPA suggested that NSR contact
the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources (NCDENR) stormwater
permitting staff to determine if such a permit is required.US EPA also suggested that NSR contact the
City of Crowders’ department responsible for implementing the Municipal
Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4) program to determine if an MS4 permit is
required.Accordingly, OEA is
recommending a condition that requires NSR to consult with NCDENR and the City
of Crowders to determine what, if any, permits are needed prior to
salvage, and to comply with their reasonable requirements if applicable.

The North Carolina Department of Environment
and Natural Resources, Division of Water Quality (NCDENR DWQ) submitted comments
listing suggestions/measures on how to mitigate potential impacts associated
with the proposed bridge removal over Crowders Creek.Accordingly, OEA is recommending a
condition that requires NSR to consult with NCDENR DWQ prior to salvage to
discuss which of these suggestions/measures would be necessary and to comply
with their reasonable requirements.

The North Carolina Department of Environment
and Natural Resources, Division of Coastal Management commented that it does
not appear that the proposed abandonment would have a reasonably foreseeable
effect on any coastal use or coastal resource located within a coastal
county.Therefore, no further regulatory
review is required.

The
North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Mooresville
Regional Office provided comments from its Air, Water and Land Quality office
areas.Each of these office areas stated
that they had no comment on the proposed abandonment.

The
North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Division of
Waste Management, Solid Waste Section submitted comments stating that after
reviewing the proposed abandonment, no adverse impact would be anticipated on
the surrounding community, and likewise, no known situations in the community would
affect the proposed abandonment.

The
North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Division of
Waste Management, Hazardous Waste Section stated that it had no objection to
the proposed abandonment.

The
North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Division of
Waste Management, Superfund Section (NCDENR DWMSS) submitted comments stating
that two hazardous waste sites are located in the area of the proposed
abandonment.However, NCDENR DWMSS
stated that it is unlikely that the project would affect these sites and vice
versa.

The
North Carolina Department of Transportation and the CC&PS Division of
Emergency Management Floodplain Management Program stated that they had no
comment on the proposed abandonment.

Based
on all information available to date, OEA does not believe that salvage
activities would cause significant environmental impacts.In addition to the parties on the Board’s
service list for this proceeding, OEA is providing a copy of this EA to US EPA
and NCDENR DWQ for their review and comment.

HISTORIC REVIEW

NSR served the historic report on
the North Carolina State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO), pursuant to 49 C.F.R.
§ 1105.8(c).SHPO submitted comments
stating that no historic resources would be affected by the proposed
abandonment.OEA has reviewed the
available information and concurs with the SHPO’s comments. Accordingly,
pursuant to the Section 106 regulations of the National Historic Preservation
Act at 36 C.F.R. § 800.4(d)(1), and following consultation with the SHPOand the public, we have determined that the proposed abandonment would
not affect historic properties listed in or eligible for inclusion in the
National Register.The documentation for
this finding, as specified at 36 C.F.R. § 800.11(d), consists of the railroad’s
Historic Report, all relevant correspondence, and this EA, which have been
provided to the SHPO and made available to
the public through posting on the Board’s website at http://www.stb.dot.gov.

Pursuant to 36 C.F.R. § 800.2, OEA conducted a search of the Native
American Consultation Database at http://grants.cr.nps.gov/nacd/index.cfm
to identify federally-recognized tribes which may have ancestral connections to
the project area. The database indicated that
there are no tribes that may have
knowledge regarding properties of traditional religious and cultural
significance within the right-of-way (the APE) of the proposed abandonment.

CONDITIONS

We recommend that the following conditions be
imposed on any decision granting abandonment authority:

1.Norfolk Southern Railway Company shall consult
with the North Carolina Department of
Environment and Natural Resources and the City of Crowders to determine
what, if any, permits are needed prior to salvage, and to comply with their
reasonable requirements if applicable.

2.Norfolk
Southern Railway Company shall consult with the North Carolina
Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Division of Water Quality
prior to salvage to discuss which of its suggestions/mitigation measures would
be necessary and to comply with their reasonable requirements.

CONCLUSIONS

Based on the information provided from all sources to
date, OEA concludes that, as currently proposed, and if the recommended conditions
are imposed, abandonment of the Line will not significantly affect the quality
of the human environment.Therefore, the
environmental impact statement process is unnecessary.

Alternatives
to the proposed abandonment would include denial (and therefore no change in
operations), discontinuance of service without abandonment, and continued
operation by another operator.In any of
these cases, the existing quality of the human environment and energy
consumption should not be affected.

PUBLIC USE

Following abandonment and salvage of the rail line, the
right-of-way may be suitable for other public use.A request containing the requisite four-part
showing for imposition of a public use condition (49 C.F.R. § 1152.28) must be
filed with the Board and served on the railroad within the time specified in
the FederalRegister notice.

TRAILS USE

A
request for a notice of interim trail use (NITU) is due to the Board, with a
copy to the railroad, within 10 days of publication of the notice of exemption
in the FederalRegister.Nevertheless, the Board will accept late-filed requests as long as it
retains jurisdiction to do so in a particular case.This request must comply with the Board’s
rules for use of rights-of-way as trails (49 C.F.R. § 1152.29).

PUBLIC ASSISTANCE

The
Board’s Office of Public Assistance, Governmental Affairs, and Compliance (OPAGAC)
responds to questions regarding interim trail use, public use, and other reuse
alternatives.You may contact OPAGAC
directly at (202) 245-0238, or mail inquiries to Surface Transportation Board,
Office of Public Services, Washington, DC 20423.

COMMENTS

If you
wish to file comments regarding this Environmental Assessment, send an original
and two copies to Surface Transportation Board, Case Control Unit,
Washington, DC 20423, to the attention of Danielle Gosselin, who prepared this
Environmental Assessment.Environmental
comments may also be filed electronically on the Board’s web site,
www.stb.dot.gov, by clicking on the “E-FILING” link.Please refer to Docket No. AB-290 (Sub-No.
339X) in all correspondence, including e-filings, addressed to the Board.If you have any questions regarding this
Environmental Assessment, please contact Danielle Gosselin, the environmental
contact for this case, by phone at (202) 245-0300, fax at (202) 245-0454, or
e-mail at danielle.gosselin@stb.dot.gov.

Date
made available to the public:January 3,
2014.

Comment
due date:January 17, 2014.

By the
Board, Victoria Rutson, Director, Office of Environmental Analysis.

Attachment

[1]The railroad’s environmental and historic reports are
available for viewing on the Board’s website at www.stb.dot.gov by going to “E-Library,”
selecting “Filings,” and then conducting a search for AB-290 (Sub-No. 339X).